“You look like you might have been a homecoming or prom queen. You wouldn't happen to have a sparkly crown hanging out in a box, would you Mrs. Benson?” Lori winked at Trey.
That wink sent a warmth through him he hadn't expected.
“Goodness. That was so long ago. I'm so surprised you thought with all of my wrinkles and gray hair that I would have been, but I was prom queen. My husband was prom king. I think that's why I named this guy King. I miss my husband so much.”
“Then you must have two crowns! I could get them for you if you tell me where you store them.” She turned to Trey with a huge smile. “Work with me here. okay?”
Mrs. Benson laughed. “This should be fun. I'll get them. I know right where they are.” She left the room smiling, King trailing after her.
“How did you do that? When I met her and King last month, she was so formal, told me exactly what she wanted and where she wanted the photos shot. I wouldn't have thought she was so lively and would try anything different from what she suggested. You're good with people.”
“No, not people as in multiples unless they are younger than me. Small groups of two to three adults I can handle, but I'd rather interact one on one.”
Mrs. Benson came back carrying two boxes, each lined with blue satin. “I've got them.” King sat at her feet.
Her eyes twinkled.
Trey itched to get to his camera and capture that delightful light. “Go ahead, Lori. Set it up.”
He watched her work magic with his client. Soon Mrs. Benson, with a full smile, wore her crown, and King sat on her lap wearing Mr. Benson's. The dog looked at his owner with love in his big brown eyes. Trey clicked the shutter multiple times. One of those was going to be the money shot, he was positive of that.
“Now, let's get you and King on the floor. Oh wait, can you get on the floor? We can help you get back up.”
“Of course I can. I take dance classes at the Y. My body might be more fragile, but my spirit isn't.”
“Great! Then you lie on your stomach, and we'll get King to stretch out facing you and put the crowns in the middle between you.” Lori helped Mrs. Benson straighten her shirt.
“My friends are going to be so jealous that I’m down here with King. Most of them don’t do more than walk a thousand steps a day, then stop for a snack.”
“That’s too bad. Seems like you need to encourage them to join you.”
“I have, but they’ve given up.”
“Can you rest your chin on your hands? No, I don't care for that. Let's try elbows on the floor and then your chin on your hands. Perfect!” She placed the crowns one on top of each other in front of Mrs. Benson. “Hold that pose. Come on King. Lie down.”
Trey shook his head. Mrs. Benson was on the floor and the dog laid down just like Lori wanted him to. He needed to have her accompany him more often. He continued watching Lori, waiting for her signal to take a shot. When had they developed a way to communicate without talking, and why did he like that so much?
With the Benson job a wrap, Lori helped Trey load his equipment into his car. “You know that went much faster than if I did it by myself. Thank you.”
“It was a nice change to watch you work.”
“That was not me. You were the special ingredient. I wouldn't have considered half of those poses. Certainly wouldn't have thought of getting out the crowns. Why did you?” He closed the car trunk.
“I cheated. I noticed a small, framed old photo on the table in the entryway when we came in. There was a young smiling King and Queen on a fake throne. Pretty sure it was Mrs. Benson.”
“You have a good eye for detail. That's helps in photography when framing a photo.” Could she smile any brighter? Maybe. “We finished hours before I anticipated. Care to hit the zoo with me before we get that frozen custard?”
“Sure. If we can visit the polar bear exhibit.”
“You don't seem like the polar bear type. More like big cat country.” Soft and cuddly on the outside but full of well contained emotions on the inside.
Lucy drew her light jacket together, intending to button it, but it wouldn't go over her baby bump. Had Evan noticed? Why did she care? He knew she was having a baby. And today he'd been amazing, making sure she stopped to rest and had something to drink. Even now as they walked the beach behind the lake house, he had shortened his normal long strides to meet hers. He used to challenge her to walk and run faster.
“Evan, today was so much fun. Thank you for sneaking me out of the state. I wasn't sure if I would ever feel anything but dread again.”
“We can do this more. There is a lot of places we can rediscover together again, if you'd like. I can switch my days off to a weekday. One of our sales staff has a young son playing select soccer. He'd be happy to have a few Saturday's off to attend the games.” He snagged a flat rock off the beach and skipped it across the water. “One, two three, four, five. Not bad.”
Watching him tugged at her heart. He'd been the person to teach her how to skip rocks. He'd taught her a lot of things like that. One summer, he showed her how to build a small beach fire, and they'd toasted marshmallows. She could see him being a good father.
Evan handed her a rock. “Want to give a try? See if you can beat my skips.”
Eyeing the flatness of the rock, she decided which side would be the best option. Drawing her arm back she sent the rock flying. The motion knocked her off balance. Evan caught her before she fell.
He spun her around and searched her eyes. “Are you okay? Is the baby okay?” He laid his hand over her stomach.
“Did you feel that?” she whispered. “I think the baby moved. It's like a bunch of butterfly kisses!”
“Really? No, I don't feel anything. That must be incredible.”
“Do you think I scared her?” She put her hand over Evan's then pulled it away. The intimacy of the moment overwhelmed her. “This is real. I'm having a baby.” Tears leaked from her eyes.
“Didn't you already know that?” He smiled at her, then wiped a tear from her cheek.
“I did, but it didn't seem real. Now, it does. Evan, I can't give this baby to my brother.”
“Then don't.” He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Let me help.”
Her hand went to her face. She touched the place he'd kissed her. It would be so easy to say yes to him.
Lori had the photo of Lucy and Evan pulled up on her laptop. Trey had captured them in a way that they looked like a couple in love. As soon as Lucy came home, Lori planned to ask her what the deal was with the two of them. She hoped they had found their way back to each other and, unless Trey had caught one of those flash moments where things look differently than they were, this photo screamed, “We're in love.”
Part of her wanted to reject the idea of her roommate falling in love, not when she herself couldn’t indulge. But she knew it would be the best thing for Lucy and the baby. But it didn't seem fair that she couldn't find someone to love.
That wasn't true. She'd found love once before, or at least she thought it was. If her father hadn't interfered, would she have a lot of children by now? Or would she have been too scared to have them, or maybe ended up in a place like Hope House with her own kids?
She picked up her phone off the desk and pulled up her contacts. Her father was at the top. Her heart thumped in her chest. All she had to do was push the button. Her finger wavered over the green button.
The door opened. Lucy was home. The moment had passed. Lori breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe another day she'd have the courage.
“Hey there. Do anything fun today, Lucy?”
Her friend's face turned red. Lori had a twinge of guilt. Lucy should have a day filled with happiness. “Sorry. It's just that I know something is up and wanted to tease you. I didn't mean to embarrass you.”
“What do you know?” Lucy stood straighter, but veered off to the fridge, opened the door and stuck her head inside. “I'm so thirsty. I hope there's tea.”
Lori la
ughed. “Get your tea and come out of there. Your secret is safe. Trey and I saw you at the art museum today. In fact, come look at this amazing photo he took of the two of you.”
The fridge door slammed. “He what?”
The fury in her friend's face alarmed her. “To be fair, he didn't know it was you until he'd taken the shot. Then he even asked me to look and make sure.”
“Did you tell him it was me?” The iced tea pitcher landed with a thud on the counter.
“What's the big deal? It's not like you eloped or something. Come and look. It's a great photo. Frame worthy for sure.” Trey's lenses were much better than hers. Maybe someday she'd be able to up her equipment quality.
“I knew this wouldn't work. I told him so. Leaving the state didn't mean we wouldn't be found out.” She poured a glass of tea and took a drink. “Let me see it.”
Lori turned her laptop to face Lucy. “What do you think?”
Tears streamed down Lucy's face. “I love it.”
“Then why are you upset?”
“Evan wants to marry me, but I'm not sure. I can't marry him just because I'm pregnant. It wouldn't be right. What if three years from now we don't get along? That all we do is fight in front of this child?” She rubbed her hand over her bump. “Anyway, Evan came up with this idea to convince me that we still work together. He thought if we took some small day trips no one would see us, eliminating the family pressure, and we could get reacquainted. Obviously, the first trip out proved that theory didn't work. Too bad, because it was one of the best days I've had in a long time. Unless, do you think you could keep it a secret? Trey too?”
“I can ask Trey, but I can't speak for him.” Her insides churned. It meant keeping it a secret from Deni, and that's not what their friendship was built on. “How long do you think you'll be doing this? I don't want to lie to Deni.”
“Until Christmas? I know it's a lot to ask. I'm afraid if my family knows we are seeing each other there will be a push to get us married. They have always liked Evan, especially Grams, but I want to do this because I know in my heart that I love him the right way, not just as a friend or the girl I used to be.”
“I won't lie to Deni. If she asks, I'll have to tell her. But if she doesn't bring it up, then I guess I won't either.”
Lucy set her glass on the counter and went to hug her friend. “Thank you. This means so much to me, to us.”
Lori hoped it wouldn't mean the end of her friendship with her best friend, but for now this felt right.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Evan, we've been found out. Your plan didn’t work please call me back.” Lucy snacked on a spinach leaf. That was the third message she'd left him. It was almost the end of the month. She knew he was busy meeting quotas and all of the things that needed to be done with owning the dealership, but he should have had some time to return her call. Wasn't she important to him anymore? Yesterday she thought she was, but now? She ate another leaf. Spinach had never been her favorite. Must be a pregnancy thing, but why couldn't it be something she loved like chocolate. Instead, even the smell of chocolate made her stomach curl.
She'd made some decisions, and she wanted to tell Evan about them, since they involved him. She paced the room. If it weren't threatening to rain, she'd walk the beach. Maybe she should email Grams, but would she even get it before they got back home? Did she take her computer with them? Probably not.
What she needed was something to do during the day when Lori was gone, and Evan was working. Idle hands were giving her mind too much time to think about the past. She couldn't even pretend to decorate the nursery because where was it? She had no idea. Would she be living here when the baby was born?
She'd been at Deni's and noticed her laptop open to Pinterest. Her board was full of nursery ideas. She walked away afraid to say anything. She'd never said they could have the baby and yet, Deni was planning the nursery as if she’d agreed. But she never told them she was keeping this child. She would have to do that and soon.
And she wanted Evan there when she told them. She needed his support. If he'd just call her back. The phone rang. “Evan, where have you been?”
“Sorry, I had the phone on silent, but right now I'm in the driveway. I wanted to make sure you were up and dressed before I knocked on the door. I have an adventure planned for today. Are you willing?”
Her mood went from angry to thrilled. “I'll be out in a second.” She hung up and slipped on some lipstick. She'd found one called Frog Prince. It made her laugh because it was green but turned pink when applied. She hurried out the door and into his car. “Where are we off to?”
“It's a surprise. Just relax and enjoy the drive. I packed you a snack.” He pointed to the lunch bag on the seat next to her.
“Yum. What is it?”
“Look and see.”
She opened the bag. “Spinach and cashews. I'm in heaven.” She pulled out a leaf and nibbled it.
“Why were you calling me this morning? I'm sorry I didn't answer. I won't put my phone on silent again during the morning meeting. Once I noticed the calls, I decided to drive out and ask what’s up in person.”
“Lori and Trey saw us at the museum. They both said they'd keep it quiet unless asked. Things are moving so fast, it's like there's a deadline.
“There kind of is, isn't there? The baby is going to be here before you know it, and a lot of things need to be done.”
“That's the other reason I called. I've made a decision and wanted to tell you first. I'm keeping this baby. I haven't told anyone but you. I know I'll have to soon, but right now I wanted you to be the first.”
“Does that mean you and I—?”
“I don't know about that part of the equation yet, Evan. I need a little more time. It's the part about being together. I'm scared. What if the things I can't remember come back and I can't be with you the way a wife should be?”
“What did the therapist say?”
“She said to take my time, and to be honest with you. That the road between us may be bumpier than we'd like at times, and you need to know I'm not rejecting you, but you'd need to give me space to work through those moments.”
“Lucy Belle, I love you. I can do that for you, for us.” He reached over and patted her stomach. “I want that more than anything. Are you willing?”
“I'm getting there. You make it easy, plying me with my favorite snacks and all this attention.” And he was, but they hadn't hit the hard stuff yet. What if she refused to let him share a bed with her when they were married? Or what if she could never feel whole again? Would she drive him away? It was easy right now to think he would stay, but how could he promise that? How could she?
“I can't believe I'm sneaking off again with you.” Lucy climbed back into the car after they'd made a stop at a gas station for a bathroom break and a snack. “When are you going to tell me where you're taking me today?” They'd been driving on the back roads for a long time through small towns she'd never heard of, even during storm alerts, like Todds Mill and Cutler.
“I'm not. It's a surprise. Buckle up.”
“I was. It takes longer now.”
He started the car then reached over and patted her bump. “How's the little one doing?”
“She's fine. Having a grand time bouncing around in there. I can't sleep on my stomach anymore. It's like laying on top of a watermelon.”
“It's hard to imagine there is a real baby in there. You're so lucky to be able to experience that, to know you're growing someone inside of you.”
The wisp of sadness in his voice struck her. “Evan, next week I have an ultrasound.” She swallowed back the fear brought by the next question she wanted to ask. “Would you go with me? Then you can see her too. But I don't want to know if it's a boy or a girl. The doctor knows though.”
He glanced over at her, then back to the road, then her again. “Yes. I want to.” The car tires hit the rumble strip.
“Evan, watch the road!”
“So
rry. I never expected, dreamed yes, but never thought I'd ever get to see the baby before it's born. And I'd given up thinking you would be the mother.” His hands gripped the steering wheel. “Thank you, Lucy Belle. This means so much to me.”
The way he said those words melted her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She rested her head against the seat and closed her eyes. She could rest in this moment forever. The rolling miles and melody of the tires on the pavement...
“Wake up.” Evan touched her arm. “Rest stop up ahead. I think we'll stop before we drive over the river.”
“Great idea. I know we got out of the car not that long ago, but I could stretch.”
“That was miles ago. You fell asleep.” He pulled into the rest stop parking lot. “Do you see it?”
“What? The bridge? Who wouldn't?”
He laughed. “Just wait for me to help you out of the car.”
Did he think she was made of glass? He opened her door. “I'm not an invalid, Evan. Back up.”
He didn't move. “I don't want you to see it yet because I want to see your expression when you do.” He held her hands and turned her to face him. “Walk backwards.”
“This is weird.”
“But it's going to be worth it. Close your eyes, we're almost there.”
She closed them. “If this is one of those trust exercises...”
“It's not. But I hope you know you can trust me with your life. A few more steps. You’ve got this.” He stopped. “You can open your eyes now.”
A bronze statue stood before her. “Is that Popeye?” She laughed. “Is it because I'm eating all that spinach? That's why you brought me here?”
“That, and I'm pretty sure we aren't going to run into our friends here.”
“No, I don't think we will. Wait, this is Chester, home of the creator of Popeye. I've never been here, but isn't the prison here?” She glanced behind her.
“Yes, don't worry, you and the baby are safe. They wouldn't put a rest stop here if there were any danger. Now that you've seen someone who loves spinach as much as you do, let's take a look at that bridge.
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